iOS app update - 3.0.2

What is new in this app? Basically the same, but just more clicks to get somewhere :/

I would like to get:
* Custom search
* More flexible filtering and sort: Why cant i have different sort in my Hotlist and on my Priority view?

I agree. Seems like more of the same:

-Clunky visual design
(at least on the website we can use Stylish CSS overrides)
-barely usable speed
(erratic and extended lags on any touch app is super-frustrating)
-too many clicks/screens to wade through
(especially to get at sibling subtasks)
-No global search
-NO CUSTOM SAVED SEARCHES!
-no way to tailor filters per view, or save filter presets
-cannot filter Goals

Toodledo has the most comprehensive & flexible data model of all the GTD apps I've seen. But a deal-breaking feature for me from the beginning was a reliably-syncing native IOS client. Over time, I've grown into using the website in more powerful ways, but I find myself avoiding the mobile UI, and consistently frustrated when I try to use it to manage data.

Patiently waiting... but I'm beginning to lose confidence.
(do I need to try and write my own mobile app client to be able to get at my data in a faster, more direct, more custom, more usable way?)

Now that I've had some time to become mentally adjusted for a major change, I found 3.0.3 less jarring. In fact, by using All Tasks, then sorting on folder, star, and title, I think I actually like this format better than the old one!

It remembered my field and sort settings from the first iteration of version 3, which was a nice touch.

I do have a couple of both new and repeated suggestions:

1. Add an "expand all groups/contract all groups" button to the top of the task list panel.
2. Although less important if you add the expand/contract button suggested above, it would be very nice to have a magnifying glass button to force the search field to show up. That way we don't have to scroll so far in an expanded list. Another option to solve this problem would be to have a tap on the header bar for the list scroll to its top, including the search and add fields as the top. This is a fairly common usage in IOS apps already, so would be easy to remember. By the way, I like the way the search field is inside the list column as it makes the search scope perfectly clear.
3. A quick add button. If you implement tap on header bar to scroll to top, with top defined as the search/add fields, this would be resolved by one piece of coding with item 2.
4. Increase the size of the font on the Folder, Goal and other flyouts to be larger. Although you mention in the announcement of the update that they are no smaller than the smallest fonts used by Apple in their own apps, I don't think you should use the floor as your goal. Maybe let us chose sm, med, lg in settings?
5. Similarly, increase the font size for these fields in the list panel or let us have a couple of options.
6. Always show the goal on the left side even if in a folder view. Right now, in the All Tasks, the goal is on the left and the folder is on the right. In the folders view, the goal shifts to the right for some reason.
7. Allow us to adjust the width of the list panel. We should go from narrower to wider panels from left to right.

i think the best solution would be to have a set of "themes" where we can choose between the old look and the new look.
That'd keep everyone happy, wouldn't it?

Only if stability and speed are as good as version 3.0.1.

Because like choosing a wife, it's more than about looks.

yes, first stability and speed, second the "themes" and everything is solved!

I actually disagree on the importance of themes/ configurable fonts.

These are really minor, and would substantially tie up the toodledo dev team trying to setup themes/configuration options that work everywhere. It would also make the app much harder to support/ test and evolve... I am saying this a I am a developer myself...

I think it would be much more useful for the release is stabilized to work on some of the core feature requests which deliver significant value, notably true multilevel subtask support and other topics which have been mentioned (but as subtaks is the feature I use the most, I would love to see this feature as well as the bugfixes/ minor improvements already noted for subtasks).

I think it would be much more useful for the release is stabilized to work on some of the core feature requests which deliver significant value, notably true multilevel subtask support and other topics which have been mentioned (but as subtaks is the feature I use the most, I would love to see this feature as well as the bugfixes/ minor improvements already noted for subtasks).

I agree that core feature requests should be done next but it's highly unlikely that "true multilevel subtask support" will be implemented in the iOS app, given that this feature isn't available on the website.

I think it would be much more useful for the release is stabilized to work on some of the core feature requests which deliver significant value, notably true multilevel subtask support and other topics which have been mentioned (but as subtaks is the feature I use the most, I would love to see this feature as well as the bugfixes/ minor improvements already noted for subtasks).

I agree that core feature requests should be done next but it's highly unlikely that "true multilevel subtask support" will be implemented in the iOS app, given that this feature isn't available on the website.

yes, this is what I meant, I read your input in that thread, and I agree that possibly adding just one more level or perhaps 1 level of subtask or subfolders (1 level) would solve the issue for me in any case without having the issues that Jake raised that the website gui becomes complex to implement... In fact the subfolder visualization should be straightforward for 1 level.

Beyond 1 level I can see that web site navigation becomes complex to implement, design , maintain...

Anyway don't want to reopen this "hot topic" hear, I realize it's not really the place...

"Action Lists" is currently working well for me. Syncs up folders, status and contexts. Expensive app and iPad version is even more but I will be using it until they can fix this one or offer a classic version.

I recently wrote you an email about the update to Version 3.0.2 (2469) last week and after the update on 3.0.3 (2492) I have the same two very annoying issues:

1. The last displayed screen (tasks due today) is not displayed any more when I open the App again after idle. Overdue tasks is displayed instead. And for a short while the Due Dates Listing is displayed with all counters on the right side marked as 0.

2. The performance of the App is very slow when editing tasks and switching between the different task details screens (e. g. changing the due date of a task). Marking a task as completed is not very responsive - the checkmark is displayed after ca. 1 second. In version 3.0.1 it was displayed immediately.

And I have some general feedback too:

1. The new font size is too small.

2. The new design is very bad and confusing. Too much information is displayed in the task list. You should let the user change the display in the settings.

We are preparing version 3.0.4 right now, which has another big performance improvement for loading lists (maybe another 2x). It also fixes several other problems, including a fix for the iPad center list not getting updated in certain situations, and the start-page sometimes going to the wrong page. It also fixes several crashes. We will be submitting it to Apple in the next day or two.

It is extremely disappointing and frustrating as someone who has bought into this system that two major releases in a matter of months have (1) utterly ruined the pleasing visual nature of the app and (2) have apparently limitless bugs. I am about 3 days away from abandoning the program (and I'm a subscriber, so they'll lose my annual fee too) and going to OmniFocus or some other competitor.

What's the update on the next version? I'm eagerly awaiting it for my iPad (since I still am unable to use the app at all), and it's now been a week since you guys said you were a day or two away from submitting it to Apple. Can we get a status update?

1. It's faster the last iteration. Thanks for that, Jake and developers. It still doesn't feel quite as snappy as 3.0.1, but it isn't slow as molasses either. That said, I've deleted my completed tasks so fingers crossed as those accumulate over time.

2. The strength of Toodledo is its SORTING, and yet my custom sort order for folders, which I use all the time (like "contexts", but I can designate some private) is different in different views.

Unlike "Priority" which easily maintains its order, the folder order DOES jump around in the All Tasks page.

When I am in certain folder views and click all tasks, the last folder I was in will be on top. This is as annoying as if "Medium Priority" was somehow on top -- instead, it should just always show the same sort order particularly since sort order is what Toodledo is all about.

This is aggravating as it makes me stop and think every time I change folder, and think differently depending on where I am. Can you please, pretty please, ensure that custom (or alphabetical, as the case may be) folder order is respected throughout the app?

3. On the website, you can choose to allow subtasks to default to the parent tasks attributes, but this doesn't work on the app. It ought to be an option.

4. Speaking of subtasks, please allow an "indented" mode.

5. Some things, like quick adding tasks, and adding subtasks, and even changing folder views (because the expanding list remains open) are a click less, and this is nice.

6. This next point is really REALLY important, and would be so trivial for you to implement. PLEASE listen to it.

(Really important point follows.)

The greyish colored font is not as easy to see as black font, for obvious reasons. I use this app a lot, as do many people. Not everyone has great eyesight, or has bright screens (may be dimmed to conserve battery life or, alternatively, be being viewed outdoors), etc. There should be an option for black font on a white background.

Surely this is basic?

That's how it is done here, on this page. Also on the Toodledo website itself (and the old app). And pretty much every website that gets a lot of traffic.

Black text. White background. This is doable? At least as an option?

You can leave the auxiliary information below the task in the greyish-colored font.

7. The colored corners for priority are NICE.

Really, I like the concept. A lot.

But why DIFFERENT colors for priority on the app vs. the website?

?

I don't want to think about what the colors mean and do distracting mental translations every time I look at my task list on various systems. It should be easy enough to have priority colors be the same on the website as on the app.

I mean, this is just CSS. You could do it in half an hour or so, I imagine.

Update: I just figured out how to use a user style to change the priority colors on the website, so I'm good here ... although it still wouldn't be a bad idea in general.

Would love for there to be a separate CSS class for Negative priority than Low priority though. :P

8. A lot of people are complaining about the amount of info below the task title in the task list. In fact, it used to be an option to enable additional details below the task if there's room to, and now it's enabled by default.

I'd prefer to have the option, but oh well. One thing though.

Every recurring task has the recurring task indicator in the checkbox. And just a few pixels away, below the task, is a miniature version of the same recurring task icon followed by the recurring frequency. The description for which begins with "Every" ... as in, "Every Friday", "Every 2 weeks", etc.

This is completely redundant.

Can you please get rid of the totally redundant miniature recurring icon co-located with the large recurring icon? Or, failing that, keep it, but get rid of the text which says "Every"?

9. Any chance that, on both the website and mobile app, the accordion divider could remember its state? So if you collapse it, it stays collapsed until you click it again? That would be sweet.

1. It's faster the last iteration. Thanks for that, Jake and developers. It still doesn't feel quite as snappy as 3.0.1, but it isn't slow as molasses either. That said, I've deleted my completed tasks so fingers crossed as those accumulate over time.

2. The strength of Toodledo is its SORTING, and yet my custom sort order for folders, which I use all the time (like "contexts", but I can designate some private) is different in different views.

Unlike "Priority" which easily maintains its order, the folder order DOES jump around in the All Tasks page.

When I am in certain folder views and click all tasks, the last folder I was in will be on top. This is as annoying as if "Medium Priority" was somehow on top -- instead, it should just always show the same sort order particularly since sort order is what Toodledo is all about.

This is aggravating as it makes me stop and think every time I change folder, and think differently depending on where I am. Can you please, pretty please, ensure that custom (or alphabetical, as the case may be) folder order is respected throughout the app?

3. On the website, you can choose to allow subtasks to default to the parent tasks attributes, but this doesn't work on the app. It ought to be an option.

4. Speaking of subtasks, please allow an "indented" mode.

5. Some things, like quick adding tasks, and adding subtasks, and even changing folder views (because the expanding list remains open) are a click less, and this is nice.

6. This next point is really REALLY important, and would be so trivial for you to implement. PLEASE listen to it.

(Really important point follows.)

The greyish colored font is not as easy to see as black font, for obvious reasons. I use this app a lot, as do many people. Not everyone has great eyesight, or has bright screens (may be dimmed to conserve battery life or, alternatively, be being viewed outdoors), etc. There should be an option for black font on a white background.

Surely this is basic?

That's how it is done here, on this page. Also on the Toodledo website itself (and the old app). And pretty much every website that gets a lot of traffic.

Black text. White background. This is doable? At least as an option?

You can leave the auxiliary information below the task in the greyish-colored font.

7. The colored corners for priority are NICE.

Really, I like the concept. A lot.

But why DIFFERENT colors for priority on the app vs. the website?

?

I don't want to think about what the colors mean and do distracting mental translations every time I look at my task list on various systems. It should be easy enough to have priority colors be the same on the website as on the app.

I mean, this is just CSS. You could do it in half an hour or so, I imagine.

Update: I just figured out how to use a user style to change the priority colors on the website, so I'm good here ... although it still wouldn't be a bad idea in general.

Would love for there to be a separate CSS class for Negative priority than Low priority though. :P

8. A lot of people are complaining about the amount of info below the task title in the task list. In fact, it used to be an option to enable additional details below the task if there's room to, and now it's enabled by default.

I'd prefer to have the option, but oh well. One thing though.

Every recurring task has the recurring task indicator in the checkbox. And just a few pixels away, below the task, is a miniature version of the same recurring task icon followed by the recurring frequency. The description for which begins with "Every" ... as in, "Every Friday", "Every 2 weeks", etc.

This is completely redundant.

Can you please get rid of the totally redundant miniature recurring icon co-located with the large recurring icon? Or, failing that, keep it, but get rid of the text which says "Every"?

9. Any chance that, on both the website and mobile app, the accordion divider could remember its state? So if you collapse it, it stays collapsed until you click it again? That would be sweet.

As I've said before, Toodledo team could solve most of these issues by creating themes and / or creating options in Settings ... for example, the color of the source mentioned by Chritoph could easily be an option, the user chooses gray, black, etc ... and can choose the font size, color, etc ... The more an app is configurable, more satisfied users!